2015/03/27 – The Mississippi State Conference NAACP applauds the recent indictment of Bolivar County Deputy Walter Grant in the fatal shooting of Willie Bingham in 2013.   Deputy Grant shot Bingham in the back of the head as he ran away from his vehicle when an unmarked police car pursued him and his friends on March 13^th, 2013.  Mr. Bingham was unarmed.

Willie Lee Bingham, Jr. was 20 years old and was employed at the time of his death.  He had no prior arrests.

Deputy Grant was indicted and picked up by local officials on yesterday after the State Attorney General’s office filed charges against him.

The MS State Conference NAACP began to work with Mr. Bingham’s family and the family’s attorney Dennis Sweet, IV of Sweet and Associates shortly after the tragedy.  The family is pleased by the news of the indictment and look forward to a fair and just resolution to this case.  They are also pursuing civil action against Deputy Grant and the Bolivar County Sherriff’s Department.

“We are pleased that Deputy Grant has been indicted on manslaughter charges.  The Mississippi NAACP hopes that this case will send a clear message to law enforcement that the shooting of unarmed individuals will be dealt with seriously.  Hopefully this indictment will start the process of healing for Willie Bingham’s family,” said Derrick Johnson, President of the MS State Conference NAACP.

Source: MS NAACP Staff